Into the Bastion

Into the Bastion is a fan fiction written by Sojourn. It is based on several theories found on Within Hubris at the time of its writing. Due to Within Hubris' takedown, it is unknown if this story progressed past Chapter 7.

An indefinite amount of time had passed since I regained consciousness. An increasing feeling of unease had found its way into my wake. Something was wrong; what had happened? I opened my eyes steadily, only to be met by a blinding light. My senses returned. I wished they had not.

A horrible, looming sentience overtook the foreign enclosure. Dreadful screams of suffering and confusion filled my ears. There was nothing to be seen, nothing to be touched. I was in hollow emptiness, with only the shrieks of the tortured to accompany me.

Startlingly, I came to the realization that I had no body. I simply...existed. A terrible feeling swept over me, overcoming me. I did not know where I was, and I knew I would not be able to escape. My mind raced, frantic thoughts and memories pushing forward into my conscious.

I tried communicating with someone, anyone. Anything was better then this overwhelming isolation. My voice hardly pierced the chorus of shouts emanating around me. I called out again, and then again. Madness loomed within me, tantalizing me with its promise of escape.

I could not see his face, though I imagined him smiling smugly. "You ask me. Every story is different..some fought and fell, some were forced. I'm the first. I tried to help my people, but..." His voice trailed.

"I don't know." I replied, thrusting my memories as far as I could. "All I know was that thing. That terrible thing. It followed me everywhere, eventually chasing me down in the end. I ran, ran for my life. But it got me. And then..then..nothing. I can't remember anything beyond that."

Even as I spoke, memories began to rush into my head, vivid ones. Struggling...water...and a laugh.

Alex continued, snapping me out of my trance. "There is no escape from here. This is all that I have known of for as long as I can remember." He paused as my heart sank,"Though I've been speculating..there may be a possibility."

I stood in silence, mulling over his words, waiting patiently for Alex to elaborate.

With a deep sigh, he finally spoke. "I must tell you how it all began."

Chapter 2: Ben

"It all started when a fanatic called Kelbris killed a young boy under the name of his goddess. Soon after, a multitude of secular fanatics joined him, and formed the Moon cult. The boy was only the first of casualties." Alex's voice cracked slightly."They called them ascensions."

"What's that?" I asked suspiciously.

"A ritual performed by them. Through a strenuous process, they somehow trap the victim's soul in their body, so when they kill them, their soul does not depart the Earth..then...they reconstruct the spirit..and transfer it into a digital shell, where they are kept for eternity. I believe this is where we are; in the hellish cross of the physical, spiritual, and technological worlds."

My pulse quickened at those words. Before I could utter a response, he continued.

"Most go mad in here after a couple of weeks, or at least it feels like that long. That's why there's so much screaming around. They allowed madness to consume them, taking their sanity so they don't have to deal with this nightmare. I've only barely held on to my own..but it isn't long before I crack, unfortunately.."

I felt sympathy for Alex. I could only imagine how long he had to endure being alone in this hollow existence. In attempt to spare his feelings, I changed the subject.

"So..how do you know so much about all this? The Moon cult? The kid?"

My voice trailed off. Alex did not speak for several minutes. The cries of the mad continued around us, but I had grown accustomed to it by now. It wasn't until I heard the faint traces of a defeated sounding murmur that I recognized Alex had resumed talking.

His voice had taken on a weak tone, a shaky one. Words had failed him. Only a single one stood out clearly among the others, but even that one was hard to distinguish. It sounded like "then".

"Sorry?" I frowned.

"B-b-Ben. It was Ben." Alex finally uttered. He sounded on the verge of tears.

"They s-said it was an accident..t-they told the-the police it was just an accident. That they found him in the p-p-pool...they believe him. But I k-knew better." Anger soon began to fill his voice. "I promised myself I would do whatever I could to avenge him. I knew a group of people on the internet who knew about the Moon cult. I helped them out, giving advice and any available resource I could provide."

"They got me eventually..I was a victim of my own confidence. Soon after..I was ascended. Not before learning about Ben.. and myself."

My eyebrows creased. "What do you mean?"

Alex took a moment to mull over his next few words.

"Do you remember the thing that chased you?"

"How could I not?" I replied bitterly.

"That thing..that monstrosity..was what became of my brother."

"W-what?" I said, astonished.

"You see..Ben is not here. Nor is he in any neighboring prisons. After a while, you learn how to sense and communicate with other beings in similar programs. Ben isn't in any of them..I'm afraid he was put in a different artificial device..a video game peripheral."

"Your brother's in a video game?" I echoed dubiously. This made no sense.

"Yes, though it may sound absurd, I'm not making this up. The Father..he has an unusual interest in video games. Zelda games to be precise. As an honor or joke, he put Ben into one of them. Majora's Mask."

"Who's the Father?" I wondered out loud. "Is he Kelbris?"

Alex grunted. "I have no clue. Nobody does. But that's not the point. After so many years of being trapped within that thing, alone, he began to go mad, but not like these people."

"He developed an unconscious persona. A twisted one. It sought pleasure in defiling and torturing people. Though Ben himself was harmless, this counterpart wasn't."

"But that's okay though, right?" I said. "They were trapped in the game, so what's the harm?"

"There wasn't until he came along." Alex muttered darkly.

"Who's he?" I asked curiously.

"Everything would have gone smoothly if it weren't for him." Alex let out a shout of rage. "He had to go and mess everything up!"

"Who is it?" I asked impatiently.

"His name..was Jadusable."

Chapter 3: Jadusable

Jadusable. The name sounded familiar.

"What did he do?" I asked imploringly.

Alex sighed. "He found the game."

"The game Ben was in?"

"Yes. He found it in a garage sale. Got it for free from an old man..he was probably just getting rid of the damned thing."

"What happened?" I asked after Alex had gone silent for some time.

"What is there left to say? He played it..and that's when Ben became known to the world. Ben knew of his own terrible persona. He felt its intentions. But it was too late. Jadusable had started to play."

"What happened to him?"

"On its own, not much. Ben and his shadow did not have much space to work with. They could only torture him when he played. Ben's counterpart wore of Jadusable's resolve. He began going insane. That was mistake number one."

"What was the other mistake?"

"Jadusable thought it would be a wonderful idea to video tape all the weird shit going on in his game. You know the works..characters out of place, weird dialogue..."

"What's wrong with that?" I asked, confused.

"When he uploaded those videos, he brought a piece of Ben into his own hard drive. He contaminated his computer, and it began to spread to the internet. Ben had more freedom now. Though that gives me some comfort, it also fills me with dread...because It is also free."

"You don't mean Ben's persona do you?" I asked fearfully.

"Yes. Because of Jadusable, Ben and his persona are free to invade any and every device associated with the internet..Ben is innocent, but his imprisonment has caused him to become delirious. Now everyone believes Ben is the bad guy, not the Father."

"Who is this Father you keep mentioning?" I said.

"He's the mastermind behind all this. Thing is, I don't know who he is. It could be Kelbris, who founded the Moon cult...or it could be the old man."

"What old man?"

"The one who gave Jadusable the game. How else would he have obtained it? And why would he just give it away like that?"

"You've got a point..." I muttered. "But how are we going to stop all this? Ben's persona? And the Father?"

Alex laughed. It sounded as if he hadn't in a while. How could he though?

"This is only my speculations, just for the record." He began hesitantly.

"Shoot." I challenged him.

"You know how the Father is into video games...this whole dilemma has only been a game to him, and he's the one setting the rules. I've noticed..noticed patterns in the way these events have turned out. Everything fits into the mechanics of Majora's Mask. Jadusable..Ben..even myself."

"This is crazy." I declared. "You're saying this is all just a game to him? The Father? That our deaths are just an insignificant part of his overall plot?"

"It sounds stupid when you put it like that," Admitted Alex, "But just hear me out. Have you played Majora's Mask?" He asked suddenly.

"Yeah, several times." I said. "I actually beat the game twice, I think."

"Good, now listen. There were four characters in the game you could play as: Link, the Deku, the Zora, and the Goron, correct?"

"Yes..." I answered slowly. I did not see where this was going.

"Do you remember their stories and personalities? Link was just a normal kid who was forced to embark on his adventure..all he ever wanted was to go home."

Alex fell quiet again. "Now think about the Deku, he was just some guy who did not know what he was doing until it was all over."

"I don't see what this has go to do-" I began.

"And the Zora," Alex interjected before I could talk. "Was a man among his people. When his family was in jeopardy, he went to go save them, but never returned. And the Goron, he was a respected warrior. He fell trying to protect his people."

"So?" I wondered.

"I believe Ben represented Link." He stated simply.

"What?" I asked in shock.

"And Jadusable was the Deku. Think about it. Ben never asked for all this. And neither did Jad. But before he knew what was going on, it was too late."

"Yeah.." I thought, "Yeah, it makes sense. But what about the Zora and Goron?"

"Maybe..maybe the Zora is...me." Alex said questioningly.

A man among his people..trying to save his family..not returning...it made a lot of sense.

"But if that's the truth, who was or is the Goron?" I echoed aloud.

"If this is all correct, then it would only be natural if..." Alex didn't finish his sentence. He seemed to be in deep thought.

"If what?" I asked, trying to get him to talk.

"..I had only been captured because of my interference with the Moon cult. I wanted to seek revenge for what they had done to my brother. If that is the case, they would only go after those who were a threat to them..the protagonists. Why then, would they go after you?"

I became startled at his statement. I knew where he was going with this.

"No-no, it's not what you think. They just chased me down, I had nothing to do with them. I'm not a warrior, and I never wanted to be. The only person I ever fought for was myself, and even then I failed. Haven't you noticed where I am right now?" My heart was pounding, even though I knew it wasn't there now. Thoughts resounded within my head, pounding fiercely in my wake. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.

"But it is," Alex said, as if reading my thoughts. A collective pause later, and his voice sounded with terror again, unnerving me.

"You're him. You're the Goron."

Chapter 4: The Truth

"No. No, you're wrong." I objected. This was all too sudden, all too unreal.

"Am I? Maybe you didn't fight. But you were a threat." Alex said.

"How could I be? I ran..ran like a coward." I admitted shamefully.

"You might have, but there were two things you had that the others did not. Knowledge, and potential."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "Listen Alex, I don't have any of the things you're talking about, ok? I'm not a warrior, I don't have any knowledge, and I only have the potential to be an ass! I was just another product of their scheme. Who's to say they don't randomly go around, ascending people?" I retorted belligerently.

Alex laughed again, which only succeeded in further angering me.

"You are all those things. Just listen to me again and it will all be clear in a moment."

I continued to fume, but was nevertheless curious. What could he know about me that I didn't?

"You say you don't have knowledge. You know more than you think. Do you know a man named Matt Hubris?" Alex asked.

"Yes, why?" I replied suspiciously.

"What are you're connections to him?" Alex continued.

"He was just a guy I met on the internet. We didn't speak much, but when we did, it was often about weird things..he spoke about..his religion. The Moon Children, he called it. You don't think...?" I said, horror dawning on me.

"Yes. Matt, or Ifrit as his colleagues refer to him, was a moderator in the Moon cult website." He stated.

"To think you know a guy." I muttered under my breath.

"He contained vast amounts of information the other Moon Children could only dream of. He spread hints and clues to the whereabouts and intentions of the Moon cult and the Father, but most were tampered by Ben's persona. In due time, he released a file, called File 59."

"His persona," Alex corrected with a slight edge to his tone. "And possibly. Most information distributed about Ben or the Moon cult is usually tampered by his alter ego. Possibly to create confusion and deception among the people trying to solve this mystery."

When I did not respond, he continued. "In this file, a hidden message containing your name was found."

My heart skipped a beat. What could Matt be writing about me for?

"The message said 'you are in danger' or something along those lines. He knew the Father was trying to capture you. But for what reason, I cannot say. You probably have knowledge or potential even you don't even know of."

"And soon after that," He continued, "He was never heard of again."

"Why? What happened to him?"

"The Moon cult forced-ascended him." He replied solemnly.

"Wait, what?" I said confused. "Wasn't he a member?"

"Yes, but he broke their laws by handing out crucial information, for that he was reprimanded."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's right in here."

A pause followed.

"Then why don't you get information from him?" I said critically.

"Even though his own kind subdued him, he still refused to tell me anything of use. He only slipped that information to protect you. All the other information was edited by Ben, so it does not count. Soon after, he went mad."

I took a moment to collect my thoughts. All of this was overwhelming.

"I still don't know why it's me..." I repeated.

"I don't technically know either, but it's the best that I've got." Alex said reassuringly.

"Ok..ok, let's say I am this Goron figure, what does that mean? If we're everybody's hope at survival, what could we do?"

"I-I don't know." He replied. "There are only four characters..if Ben and Jadusable are Link and the Deku..and you and I are the Zora and Goron..."

"That means we're damned. That's it. All of us. Dead. There's no solution, no alternative. I was our last hope, and I missed it."

Alex said nothing. The horrible truth had sunk in. We were the saviors, and we had failed. Now the rest of the world would have to pay for our actions. They had to face Ben, the Father, and the Moon cult by themselves. If they failed too, then...

"You just might be wrong." A new voice sounded.

"Who is that?" Alex asked suspiciously."I was under the impression that we were the only sane ones here."

"Then I have hid myself well." The voice responded. It was a guy's voice.

"Who are you?" Alex repeated angrily.

"My name is Jadusable, but you can just call me Jad."

Chapter 5: Free

"It can't be..you must have been one of the first ones in here. You should have lost it by now." Alex replied skeptically.

I heard Jad grunt amusingly. "I should have, but I didn't. I knew I was going to be of some use, and you just told me how."

"You're not useful," Spat Alex, "You're as dead as the rest of us."

"Maybe..maybe.." Jad trailed, as if not listening.

"And what does that mean?" Alex interjected.

"Haven't exactly raked your brains that much have you?" Jad jeered. "There may have been four Links, but there is still a glimmer of hope."

"You're insane. All the other people attempting to work together can't. They all have their different ideas and theories, by the time the Father resumes his reign, their separation will be their downfall." Said Alex.

"Let me give you a hint," Jad replied softly, "Everyone involved in this represents a character, you said so yourself."

"I was only talking about us!" Shouted Alex.

"That's where you're wrong. Everybody is involved. Everybody is a representation of someone in the game, whether their role is large or insignificant. Our role so happens to be the protagonists. What does that make everybody else?"

"Background characters?" I answered.

"You could say that, but I want to look a bit deeper at it. Who is our enemy?" Asked Jad.

"The Father." Alex said unwillingly.

"Exactly. Now, let us look at the Happy Mask Salesman-"

"But the Salesman isn't the bad guy in that game." I noted.

"That is also correct, but just listen. In the game, we do not know who the Mask Salesman truly is. He is a normal man who obtains immense power and responsibility. The same is true for the Father. We do not know who he is, yet he somehow manages to lead the Moon Children."

"Then who is Tatl? Skull Kid? Majora?" I asked.

"I don't know about Tatl," Jad said. "But I can explain who the Skull Kid is. Think about it. The Skull Kid is just a creature being controlled by a higher power. I believe this creature is Ben's persona. The high power is obviously Majora.."

"Then who is Majora?" Alex asked, echoing the question in my head.

"I honestly do not know the answer to that." Jad frowned. "It could be a number of people. It could be the Moon Children's goddess, but I think she represents the moon, I mean, like the moon in the game, she is only as powerful as the people controlling her."

"But first let me continue with my solution," Jad said before any of us could speak. "As I have said, Ben's persona and the Father are trivial compared to our main enemy, who is still unnamed. Also, we agree that the three of us, including Ben, are the main protagonists, and yet we have failed to do anything to stop them."

"So?" Alex said impatiently.

Jad took a moment to think of his next words. "Do you know Majora's story?" He asked.

"No, why?" I responded.

"The game never specified Majora's past." Alex snapped.

"You'd have to have read the manga," Jad explained.

"So you think the Father spends his time outside of the cult reading Japanese comics?"

"Maybe..maybe," Jad laughed. "But like you said, he was a fan of Zelda."

Alex did not answer.

"In the manga, it is said a fierce beast used to live, with armor that could grant wishes. Travelers went by and tried to slay the beast, but all were eaten. One day, a young warrior came along, and began talking to the beast. He found out that the beast was miserable, and wanted to die. The warrior played a song for three days, and the beast danced along. Eventually, the beast danced its heart out, and died. The warrior, instead of getting a wish, forged the beast's armor into a mask, calling it Majora."

"And what was the point of that magnificent story?" Alex asked sarcastically.

"The point of the story is to show that that man was the only one able to stand up to Majora." I explained.

"Exactly!" Jad exclaimed. "I believe this man has the ability to overcome Majora's immense power, and is the only one able to. That is probably why we couldn't do anything to him. Think about it: In the end of the game, Majora hands Link the only power strong enough to defeat him."

"But why?" I wondered.

"Who knows? Majora was probably just crazy and overconfident, but that's not the point. We now know the only character strong enough to defeat Majora." Jad said with increasing excitement.

"You don't think...?" Alex began.

"Yes, I do." Jad said. "Every person involved in this has a role, a representation of one of the characters in the game. We just don't know who he is."

"So what you're saying is..even though all Links have been defeated, we still have a chance..if this-this guy is around?"

"Precisely," Jad confirmed.

"What is his name?" Alex asked.

"The Fierce Deity."

Chapter 6: The Orchid

Jadusable's voice resounded, his words echoing around us. And then..then...silence. Total silence. The screaming stopped abruptly. Not a single noise sounded.

Several moments passed as this eerie quiet continued.

Suddenly, I began to feel vibrations, hard ones. It was as if someone had begun to shake the entire Bastion. Loud, thunderous crashing and banging could be heard.

"What's happening?" Alex shouted over the clamor.

The vibrations grew worse by the minute, becoming more like an earthquake. The screaming resumed, adding to the overall uproar.

The noise was unbearable. The endless walls seemed to tear apart like fabric, revealing unearthly lights and colors.

Chaos and discord alike unleashed. A myriad of thoughts and memories flew throughout my head.

An unusual sensation had spread through my body...my body? I lifted my arm, only to see shreds of flesh form slowly. I looked around. I could make out heads, arms, and legs.

A crop of brown hair sprouted to my left, and a face appeared, which stared back at me in horror: Alex. To my right, a guy no older than I was appeared, with straw colored hair, and green-grey eyes: Jadusable, he was gazing in terror at the rips spreading open in the walls.

An unnatural wind picked up, blowing ferociously at the prisoners. My arms started to float of their own accord, as if something were sucking them in. To my astonishment, I realized they were being sucked in.

The vibrations increased. A spiraling sensation. A blinding white light...

...

"-yd! Kayd!" A voice rang.
My eyes were slow to open. I felt something..something that wasn't supposed to be there. A warmth, a pleasant warmth that radiated across my skin. I explored the ground with my skin. Smooth to the touch..individual strands...Sunlight? Grass?

A massive tree loomed overhead. Flowers sprouted in various spots; butterflies hovering lazily on top of them. It was all too familiar. But it couldn't be, could it?

I walked automatically towards the tree, and saw a figure. As I advanced, I recognized it, Jadusable. We were the only three around.

Jad was staring avidly at a point on the tree. He did not stir as I walked up behind him.

A strip of bark was missing from the main trunk. Words were etched on the bare wood.

I read it aloud, a sense of fear spreading in me.

"You have learned something new. How long until your blessing becomes a curse?"

Chapter 7: The Moon Children

Alex had appeared beside us as I read the cryptic message before us. Seconds slipped by as we stared uneasily at the tree.

Then, as talk resumed to our whereabouts, a presence was made. Something had taken us aback, a peculiar, ominous feeling that was shared by all three of us grew from the pits of our conscious.

As abrupt as the sentient, the wood of the tree began to ripple and shimmer, as if it were water. I jumped back in fear, tripping over a misplaced root during the process.

A face poked out of the trunk, scaring us all witless. It was no ordinary face either...it was clad in a mask that seemed to be attached to its head. A neck was exposed, followed by a chest, torso, and arms. The thing-human?-wriggled its remaining body from the tree, and slid on the ground, casually glancing at each of us in turn.

Then a second person came out, a third, a fourth. Each had the build of a child, and each had distinct masks. They all wore ragged clothes and orange hair. Their skin was pale and white, as if they had never seen the day.

Apart from the occasional stare or gaze, these four bizarre children completely ignored us. They all were playing games and running around like all children do; but their unusual appearance made it seem unnatural.

Alex, Jad, and I all exchanged curious looks. We did not know what to say. Our eyes communicated rather than our words. By the way Alex glared expectantly at Jad, it was apparent that he wanted him to question the masked children. Jadusable stood his ground for several more seconds, until finally giving in. He cautiously began to walk toward one of them; one with a less frightening mask, I noted.

The child, who's mask resembled that of a shaman, was relaxing idly by the base of the tree, watching coolly as his brethren played.

Jad approached him warily, and cleared his throat loudly to catch the child's attention. He lowered himself onto one knee to address him.

"Hello," Jad smiled warmly. When the child did not reply, he continued. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you know where we are, and why we are here..." Jad left the question in the air, for the child had locked eyes with him. Jad's forehead became creased and his palms began to sweat profusely: the child had unnerved him.

The child continued to stare at Jad for a few minutes before turning his head away without a single word. Jad lowered his head in disappointment, and got to his feet again. He returned to us with uncertainty in his eyes.

We stood in silence for several moments before Alex stirred unexpectedly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He was looking at the ground near the tree. A fifth child had appeared:
with a mask that looked exactly like Majora's Mask.

Alex looked at Jad again, but this time, he shook his head vigorously. Alex sighed and crept nervously towards the new child. This particular one was more introverted then the rest. He lay leaning at the base of the tree, hands holding his thighs towards himself to make himself seem less noticeable.

Like Jad, Alex went on his knees in an effort to relate to the forlorn child better. He looked interestingly at the child, and smiled reassuringly. The child looked up, its huge eyes roaming Alex's forced expression.

Before Alex could utter a question, it spoke. "Are you...the King?" It asked softly. Its voice rang sweetly as a child's, but it was laced with fear and curiosity. Alex did not expect this, and fell backwards.

As he recovered, the child began looking at us in turn. Its features were contorted with hunger and anxiety.

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken, none of us are kings." Alex breathed jadedly.

"Do not lie to me, if you are not him, then he has obviously sent you." He declared boldly.

Alex stood up anxiously at the tone of which the child spoke. "Easy, easy," He stuttered. "We know nothing about a king, we just want to know where we are."